Origin: Germanic
Old English prefix
Bestow has 4 different meanings across 1 category:
Verb
Verb
1
present
"The university conferred a degree on its most famous former student, who never graduated"
"bestow an honor on someone"
3
bestow a quality on
"Her presence lends a certain cachet to the company"
"The music added a lot to the play"
"She brings a special atmosphere to our meetings"
"This adds a light note to the program"
4
To lay up in store; deposit for safe keeping; to stow or place; to put something somewhere.
Example Sentences
"The university conferred a degree on its most famous former student, who never graduated"
verb
"bestow an honor on someone"
verb
"Her presence lends a certain cachet to the company"
verb
"The music added a lot to the play"
verb
"She brings a special atmosphere to our meetings"
verb
"This adds a light note to the program"
verb
Related Terms
Show all 51 terms ↓
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)
Origin
The word bestow comes from Middle English and originally meant to give or arrange something. It is formed by combining a prefix meaning "completely" with a root that means to pack cargo into a ship.